Karuta Game!

This is my version of the traditional karuta game, the first video is for
large groups, the second for smaller groups!

One good game for large classes is to do a "Do you like...?" variation of Karuta.

1. Split the kids into two halves, and give each team a cool name.

2. Three kids from each group are nominated to be the designated runners
and stand at the back.
3. Put the picture cards at the front of the class.
4. Wander round the class and say "hello" to a random child (
or point the microphone to them if you have one)
5. This child then asks you "Do you like...?" plus one of the
foods at the front.
6. You answer "No, I don't".
7. Wander around getting a few more kids to ask you.
8. Eventually you say "Yes, I do!" to one kid's question.

9. The front runner from each group has to rush forward and pick up the
matching card. The further they have to run, the more fun!
10. Continue from 4

It's really fun and frantic and has lots of participation from many kids.
One nice thing is that even weaker kids can say "Do you like apples?"
or "bananas", and the more advanced kids will ask more complicated
ones.
And everyone has to listen really carefully to what each child says. As
you will have quite a few "No, I don'ts" before the final "Yes,
I do" it's really good practise for everyone to listen really carefully
to many kids in the class, after all the one time they don't listen maybe
the one you say "yes" to!

The other good thing is that although most of the kids are sat down ( it's
great for even very large classes), they are all listening and they all
go crazy shouting the words out and supporting their runners as they run
past them to get the cards!

3. The kids line up in parallel lines so the first kid in
each group faces the side
of the room where the cards are.

4. The kids' ask you today's question and you say an answer that is on
one of the cards.

5. The first kid from each group runs forward towards the
cards.

6.The first kid to slap their hand down on the correct
card gets a point for their team.

7. These kids return to the back of their group's line. A
set of new kids are now at the front.

8. Repeat from step 4.

Make sure you have some ground rules established. For
example slapping other kids hands or pushing other kids
out of the way results in the offenders team losing 2
points!! Also make sure they only slap their hand onto
the cards, if they try and pick them up then the cards
will get all messed up.

If there is confusion as to who touched the card first
(here, two students got "baseball" at the same
time), tell them to "janken"
(the "paper, scissors, stone" game)

If there is a stage in the gym then setting the cards on
the stage is a good idea. Accidents are reduced as the
kids don't have to bend down to see the cards.

Readers' Comments:

To add variety and to stop accidents, get the kids to go to the cards in
different styles e.g. hopping,jumping,stomping,star jumps,frog jumps
etc.

Also, after playing many times and the kids are fully aware of the rules
you can ask them to be teacher and decide on a movement and call out a
flashcard.

I teach 3 and 4 year old and they have become experts!!!

Readers' Comments:

I've done a few variations on this game (before I even discovered your site!)
1) I actually had 'disposable' flashcards - always in multiples. I started with colours and shapes - each shape in ten colours but at least 4 of each.
I scattered them all over the floor and would call out "I want a red
triangle". The kids would all dive in to find the 4 red triangles
- when they find it they stand holding it high (and preferably tell me
"red triangle...but they are only kinder kids). The kids loved scrambling
about and it gave me a chance to see who was struggling - I would have
plenty of kids grabbing the wrong colour, right shape or vice versa. You
do need to watch it doesn't get too rough though so I really only play
it with the young ones.

2) I have made about 60 flashcards of people wearing t-shirt, pants, socks, shoes each in different colour combinations, I send two runners to find "Who is wearing pink shoes?" They have 5 seconds to find as many with pink shoes as possible and then get that many points for their team.
I found the slightly older grades found a loop hole and would grab every card, letting me sort out which ones were right so I now say that any that are wrong equal that many points to the other team! It worked - they are quite careful now to not pick up the wrong card.

Obviously both of these are great ways to have the kids listen for two words in a sentence instead of one.